The Rise of the Writers of the Republic of China

Paris, Embassy in France.

"Mr. Zhou, please come with me." The secretary of the embassy smiled and said to Zhou Hexuan, with a bit of admiration and respect in his tone.

When Zhou Hexuan came to the office of the Minister in France, he saw Gao Lu chatting with a French man. After he appeared, the two inside immediately got up.

Gao Lu introduced: "Mr. Zhou, this is Mr. Joseph Charente, Deputy Director of the French National Archives."

"Hello." Zhou Hexuan greeted with a handshake.

Joseph Charente looked at Zhou Hexuan curiously, and said with a smile: "I heard that when Mr. Zhou traveled around the world, he visited the libraries and archives of various countries, so he wrote the astonishing masterpiece "The Rise of Great Powers". Presumably , have you also entered the National Archives of France?"

Zhou Hexuan said: "Thanks to the tolerance of the French government, ordinary people can also consult the archives."

"Mr. Zhou, I think you missed something. Ordinary people can only consult and visit the reading room and exhibition hall of the National Archives. The real important archives are kept secret from the outside world," Joseph Charente said playfully, "and I have worked in the National Archives for 20 years, and there are only three Asians who have visited, one of whom is Mr. Gu Hongming from your country. As for Mr. Zhou, I may not remember clearly, it seems that he did not appear in my memory Pass."

Zhou Hexuan shrugged: "I sneaked in quietly, do you believe it? The French National Archives is not strictly guarded."

"Maybe." Joseph Charente was also uncertain. He pointed to a pile of documents on the table and said, "I have already brought what Mr. Zhou needs."

Gao Lu explained: "These are the files of the Chinese workers who aided France, but they are only part of them and not complete."

Zhou Hexuan sat down and looked through it in detail, feeling quite surprised, because Huagong's files are very detailed. Each person's name, age, place of origin, and time of recruitment are recorded in detail, and there is even a serial number, but it is a pity that the final destination is unclear.

For example, the page that Zhou Hexuan is currently reading contains information on 20 Chinese laborers in total, of which only 5 are marked as "returned to China", another 6 are marked as "dead", and the remaining 9 are all "missing".

The "missing person" may be dead, may be crazy, may have returned to his country, or may have joined the French nationality like the restaurant owner Chen Ying. The specific situation is too complicated, and it is impossible to find out clearly with the current information and intelligence means.

All Zhou Hexuan can do is to build cemeteries for those "dead".

Joseph Charente opened a wooden box, took out a copper ring and said, "I found this from the military and spent a lot of effort. Each copper ring represents a dead Chinese laborer. There are about 2,000 Many, I only brought some of them."

Zhou Hexuan took out a copper ring and observed it. The workmanship of the copper ring was very rough, but it was engraved with a separate number. This is equivalent to the identity certificate of Chinese aid to France. It is issued when they are recruited, and it is equivalent to a special "military badge" worn on the wrist.

By comparing the copper ring with the number on the file, the identity of the owner of the copper ring can be determined.

Gao Lu said: "Mr. Zhou, if we really want to build a cemetery, I think we can set up a tomb for the Chinese workers. Bury these copper rings, and then erect an inscription for them. As for the scattered bones, they can only be collected and buried together. Because it is difficult to confirm the specific identity."

"This method is very good," Zhou Hexuan agreed, and he asked Joseph Charente, "I want to build the Chinese Labor Cemetery outside the small town of Noyelle, is it possible?"

Most of the 140,000 Chinese aid workers gathered in Noyelles and were dispatched to various parts of France. If you want to build a cemetery for Chinese laborers, the town of Noyelle is the best place and the most commemorative.

Joseph Charente obviously did the research. He said: "There are wheat fields outside the small town of Noyelle, and I am afraid it will be difficult to convince the local residents. But there is one place that is more suitable, that is, near the Chinese labor hospital and the madhouse at that time. All the buildings have been abandoned, and they can be opened up as a cemetery."

"That's fine." Zhou Hexuan nodded.

Joseph Charente stood up and said, "I'll take my leave first!"

Gao Lu personally sent the other party out of the embassy, ​​came back and smiled to Zhou Hexuan: "Mingcheng, you did a good job this time. Now the whole of France is discussing Chinese workers, which has greatly improved the image of the Chinese in France. You not only help the poor The Chinese workers have done good deeds and contributed to the Chinese living in France."

"I feel very honored." Zhou Hexuan said with a smile.

The deputy director of the National Archives of France personally came to the embassy to deliver materials, which shows that the French government attaches great importance to this. Regardless of whether the other party is trying to please the French people or the Chinese government, the result is very gratifying.

Gao Lu said: "Let's have lunch at the embassy. I will take you to meet the designer in the afternoon."

The designer Gao Lu mentioned was Le Corbusier, a top designer in France and a leader in the field of modern architectural design. In addition to doing architectural design, he is also a writer, sculptor, planner, furniture designer, and modernist painter, which can be called versatile. He also won the first prize in the League of Nations design competition two years ago, and founded the International Modern Architecture Association with his friends last year.

Le Corbusier was tall and thin, with a bald forehead and black-rimmed glasses. Even when he was sitting in the office, he wore a neat suit and black tie, as if he was ready for an important dinner at any time.

Well, a gentleman's style.

"Mr. Corbusier, hello!" Zhou Hexuan smiled.

Le Corbusier happily received Zhou Hexuan and Gao Lu. He said: "Mr. Minister has explained the situation to me. I am personally happy to design a resting place for those 'sons of heaven'. I don't know what specific requirements Mr. Zhou has. ?”

Zhou Hexuan said: "The gate of the cemetery and the front of the tombstone must face east."

"Understood," Le Corbusier wrote down in a small notebook, "You continue."

Zhou Hexuan also said: "There needs to be a monument in the cemetery, which is used to engrave the achievements of the Chinese workers. In addition, I hope to design two more sculptures of the Chinese workers, one is the image of the Chinese workers carrying a pole, and the other is the image of the Chinese workers pushing a wheelbarrow. These The sculpture image should not be designed to be too majestic and brilliant, and the expression should be dazed and helpless, while at the same time full of good hope for an unknown life."

Le Corbusier thought for a while and said, "As for the design of the mausoleum, I need to observe it on the spot. As for the sculpture you mentioned, I'm sorry, although I have traveled to Asia, I have never been to China. I don't know the pole you mentioned. And what a wheelbarrow looks like. So, I hope to go to China and observe the people at the bottom of China and the tools they use.”

"Yes, I will help you arrange assistants in China." Zhou Hexuan suddenly thought of his uncle Zhang Yuandong.

Although Zhang Yuandong majored in bridge design at Cambridge University, if he can work as an assistant to Le Corbusier, both his professional ability and his reputation in the design circle can be greatly improved.